Molestation complaints on Delhi Metro go up by 43% since 2016

Complaints of molestation from women passengers travelling in Delhi Metro trains have jumped almost 43% since 2016, data from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) showed.

CISF, which secures the Delhi Metro, has received 110 distress calls in the first six months of this year from women commuters about alleged instances of molestation; this is more than the total number of cases reported each year in 2016 (77), 2017 (87) and 2018 (86) . A CISF official, who asked not to be named, said most molestation complaints were reported from the general compartments of the trains.

One compartment in every Delhi Metro train, except the Airport Express line, is reserved for women passengers.

The complainants alleged they were inappropriately touched, pushed, approached or abused by male commuters while boarding or getting off the train, mostly during peak hours between 8am to 11am and 5pm to 8pm, the official said.

CISF assistant inspector general Hemendra Singh said the increase in the number of Delhi Metro commuters this year could be among the reasons more molestation complaints were being reported.

According to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), an average of 2.7 million commuters take Delhi Metro trains every day. On an average, 2.5 million commuters travelled in Delhi Metro trains per day in 2017, and the number dipped to 2.28 million per day in 2018.

Because of the increase in number of complaints, 18 first information reports (FIRs) for molestation under IPC 354 have already been registered between January and June this year. In contrast, 18 FIRs were registered in all of 2018, 23 the year before that, and 15 in 2016.

“All these cases registered were worked out and the accused were arrested,” said Mohammad Ali, deputy commissioner of police, Delhi Metro Rail Police.

Police said they are identifying passengers who are habitual offenders. A police officer who is not authorised to speak to the media said that in one such incident, the Delhi Metro Rail Police caught a man who was wanted in two incidents of alleged molestation.

“One incident was reported by a woman traveller in June and one in early July. We identified the man with the help of CCTV footage and his involvement in both the incidents was confirmed. He was arrested recently after days of surveillance,” the officer said.

Singh said that not every allegation of molestation ends up as a police case, as most of them are resolved by the complainant and the alleged accused at the spot. “However, whenever there is a distress call, our teams are prompt in reaching out to the victim and assist them in any way possible,” he said.

“Our efforts are why there has not been any major crime against women in Delhi Metro till date. We also have a dedicated ‘Kaali’ squad of women command os who regularly patrol women coaches. This is the reason why we have developed the trust of women passengers and they rely on our helpline number to report anything untoward,” he added.

CISF launched its first helpline for metro commuters (22185555) on April 2, 2012, and in August last year, the force introduced a parallel helpline (15556555). Another helpline for women (01123415480), managed by the DMRC, was started in September 2017.

Singh said Delhi Metro commuters can use any of these numbers to report any untoward incident and expect immediate response from the force.

He said they the force has carried out many drives to make commuters aware of how the CISF helpline number can be used. Regular announcements have helped people use the helpline when in need, Singh added.

Kalpana Vishwanath, co-founder and CEO of women’s safety NGO Safetipin, said that women don’t always go to the police in cases of molestation. “If someone touches or approaches a woman inappropriately, they would not necessarily want to lodge a police case but would want an immediate response to stop that from happening,” Vishwanath said.

“I think if there’s a mechanism through which women commuters can alert CISF and they can approach the woman at the next station and apprehend the culprit then and there, it will not only empower commuters but also create fear among the miscreants,” she added.

First Published: Jul 26, 2019 09:39 IST